The present invention relates generally to decorative mobiles which can be placed, for example, in a yard to provide a fanciful ornamental display and, more particularly, to an easily assembled spinning mobile that can be suspended in air and set in a spinning motion by air currents. The spinning mobile of the present invention can be constructed in a number of eye-catching shapes and designs.
A variety of decorative yard ornaments have been developed throughout the years for use in open areas such as back or front yards, patios, balconies, and the like. These devices include, for example, wind chimes which have a number of sound producing elements, sometimes shaped as ornaments, that are suspended on strings and produce distinct musical notes or chimes when the elements strike one another while being tossed about by a gust of wind. Other devices include weathervanes which can come in a number of decorative designs to complement a particular setting. Still other ornamental devices include colorful windsocks which catch the wind and deploy to display a colorful arrangement that create quite an eye-catching effect. Old standards, such as pinwheels, also can adorn a garden or yard area to provide a whirling visual effect when a sudden gust of wind sets the pinwheel in motion. Spinning kites having turbine-like, curved vanes also create a colorful spinning effect when rotated by the wind. The visual effects created by these devices are certainly eye-catching and can provide a very colorful, decorative ornament for adorning a particular setting.
Consumers are constantly in search of new and colorful gadgets which can be placed in an open area, or even indoors, for decorative purposes or to simply provide a unique visual effect to an observer. Therefore, there is always a need for new ornamental devices that can be hung from a tree, patio cover, or the like to provide a eye-catching arrangement that enhances the beauty of a setting or provides an ornament for a particular holiday or time of the season. Such a device should be relatively easy to assemble and disassemble, as needed, and would be particularly useful if it could be disassembled for storage in a relatively low profile box. The present invention satisfies these and other needs.
The present invention is directed to an easily assembled spinning mobile which can be suspended in air and sent in rotational motion by air currents. The present invention can be constructed in a number of eye-catching shapes and sizes and can be easily disassembled for convenient storage in a low profile box.
The present invention includes a number of design plates which are formed in a particular shape and are mounted to a central core assembly to cooperatively form a desired structural design. The central core assembly includes a central shaft having first and second ends, a top mounting cap attached to the first end of the shaft and a bottom mounting cap located at the second end of the shaft. The top and bottom mounting caps are designed to hold the individual design plates on the assembly to achieve the desired composite shape of the device.
In one embodiment, the top and bottom mounting caps each include a recessed portion adapted to receive tab-like projections formed on each design plate. In this manner, each design plate has two tab-like projections which fit within the recessed portions of the top and bottom mounting caps to hold the design plate to the assembly. A spacing member can be included to hold each design plate at a particular location along the central shaft. In this manner, each plate can be appropriately spaced along the 360 degree radius of the shaft to form the desired structural shape of the mobile. The number of design plates which can be mounted to the central core assembly can be as little as two to as many as can be reasonably mounted to the core assembly. Additionally, the size and shape of each design plate can be the same or could vary depending upon the desired composite structure to be created. Each design plate can include colorful designs, patterns, and the like, to achieve a colorful spinning ornament that can accent any setting and achieve an eye-catching visual effect.